The oil pancake from Linqian County resembles the iron hoe blade used for tilling fields, shaped like a half-circle. It tastes “crispy inside and out, golden on both sides, oily yet not greasy, and shaped like a hoe blade.” The hoe-shaped pancake is a traditional baked flatbread sold on the streets of Chengguan in Linqian County, also known as the oil hoe pancake. For a long time, it has been popular among locals. Because of its resemblance to the blades used by farmers,…
Lingxian Dates are a specialty of Lingxian County in Lüliang City, Shanxi Province. They are characterized by their large size, small pits, thin skins, thick flesh, fine texture, and sweet taste. Rich in protein and organic acids, Lingxian Dates are a nationally protected geographical indication agricultural product. The cultivation of jujube trees in Lingxian has a long history. According to local records, as early as the Western Zhou Dynasty, there were vast date orchards along the Yellow River in Lingxian…
Lin County tofu is renowned throughout western Shanxi for its rich nutrition, delicious taste, pure white color, fine texture, and soft yet not brittle quality. It is the first tofu in Shanxi to have formal production standards. Approved and issued by the Shanxi Provincial Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision, the "Lin County Brine Tofu Standard" became the province’s first official tofu production standard. In Lin County...
Made with main ingredients such as taro, cellophane noodles, and mutton, topped with over ten seasonings including chicken skin, tofu skin, scallion segments, and spicy shredded vegetables, this dish is very popular among locals. Among these, the Mutton Soup from Xing County is the most famous. …
Made by wrapping mashed red beans in cooked yellow millet flour and then deep-frying. Sprinkle with a little white sugar before eating. It features a crispy exterior and tender interior, a golden color, an inviting aroma, and a sweet and delicious taste. …
Elm bark noodles are made by drying elm bark collected in early spring or late autumn, grinding it into a fine powder with a stone mill, mixing it with an appropriate amount of buckwheat or wheat flour, and then pressing it through a specialized noodle press. Once a staple food used by locals to survive famine, these noodles have been refined over time into a delicious and distinctive snack...
Export-earning high-quality product — Red kidney beans: Scientific name British red kidney bean. The county produces 5 million kilograms annually, serving as an important raw material for making high-end cosmetics. The provincial grain and oil foreign trade import and export company has designated our county as a key production and export base for red kidney beans. The total planting area is 10,000–15,000 mu, with an annual yield of 1–1.5 million kilograms...
【Main Production Areas and Distribution】 Twelve communes along the Yellow River in western Shanxi, including Congluoyu, Xiaojiaotou, Kehu, Babao, Kaihua, Tuban, Leijiaduo, Shuicaogou, Shibaitou, and Caoyuping
Red dates, hailed as the "king of fruits" and a premium tonic, are highly nutritious. The origin of Linyi jujubes lies along the middle reaches of the Yellow River, where the area is embraced by mountains and water, enjoys abundant sunlight, and experiences significant day-night temperature variations. This region is considered the birthplace of jujubes, with a long history of cultivation dating back—according to legend—to the Western Zhou Dynasty, though there is no historical record to confirm this. The Republican-era "Linyi County Annals" recorded: "In areas such as Kehuzhai and Xiaoyuanzi, jujubes are plentiful, but those from Babao are particularly renowned." Since the Qing Dynasty, jujubes have become one of the major export specialties, and ancient thousand-year-old jujube trees still thrive in the area. The jujubes produced here are large, small-seeded, thick-fleshed, thin-skinned, deep red in color, rich in flavor, and boast long threads when stretched—making them top-tier among jujubes and a tribute item during the Qing Dynasty. Zhao Zhongyuan, a scholar from Linyi who served as a tutor to Emperor Qianlong, once gifted jujubes to the emperor, who was extremely impressed and praised them profusely.
The Yellow River catfish has an elongated body that is flat in the front and laterally compressed at the rear. Its color is grayish-black and it is scaleless. It has a flat head and a large mouth, along with two pairs of barbels. The meat is delicious, making it an excellent edible fish. Its swim bladder is nutritious and can be used in traditional medicine. …
Shaomei is made with a filling of lamb, zucchini, and seasonings, wrapped in petal-shaped dough resembling chrysanthemum petals, then pinched into the shape of a plum blossom and steamed. It features a thin wrapper, generous filling, rich aroma, and delightful taste, leaving a lingering fragrance in the mouth after eating.…
Lin County vermicelli sheets are as thin as paper and as clear as a mirror. They can be served cold as a drink accompaniment or stir-fried with meat, and are enjoyable all year round.…
Lin County starch noodles are white in color, uniformly thick, boil-resistant, flavorful, easy to store, and do not spoil. Varieties include large flat noodles and double-strip noodles suitable for stews, as well as thread-like noodles and vermicelli ideal for cold dishes and soups.…
Made from refined buckwheat flour and seasoned with spicy oil, sesame paste, and aged vinegar, Lin County Bowl Tofu is a traditional local snack and a great accompaniment to alcohol, boasting strong regional characteristics. Created in the early years of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty by the renowned chef Dong Xuan from Nanbao in Lin County’s county town, it has a history of over 100 years. 1…
Mixed Stew: It comes in two types — meat-based and vegetarian. The vegetarian version uses ingredients such as Chinese cabbage, pumpkin, zucchini, green beans, potatoes, carrots, tofu, and glass noodles. The meat version includes either mutton or pork. The cooking process begins by heating a pot, adding a small amount of oil, and then putting in salt, scallions, garlic, cilantro, star anise (for the pork stew), and Sichuan peppercorns (for the mutton stew)…
Huoshao (also known as "Red Stamp Flatbread") is primarily made from wheat flour, with a small amount of oil and salt added. Its crispy outer layer is delicious, stamped with a red mark that symbolizes good fortune. It has a rich, fragrant taste.
Castor oil is widely cultivated and produced in large quantities in Lin County, ranking among the top in exports across the region and the province, and is shipped to countries such as the United States and Japan. Its pressed products, castor oil and China No. 1 Oil, are high-grade industrial oils.…
Ingredients for Scallion Oil Steamed Twisted Rolls: 1. 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1.5 teaspoons baking powder, 2 chopped scallions, mix well. 2. 1.5 cups warm water, 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 teaspoons fast-rising yeast, 1 tablespoon flour, stir until evenly combined. Let sit for 10 minutes. 3. Corn oil, appropriate amount of salt. Method: Dough: In a mixing bowl, place ingredient 1, add ingredient 2…
Xiaoyi puppets are primarily rod puppets. Their defining feature is that the puppeteer operates from below while the puppet is above, using a single wooden rod inserted into the top of the puppet and two thin iron rods to control the puppet’s hands. Through this setup, the puppeteer conveys genuine emotions to the audience via the puppet. Xiaoyi is one of the major regions in China where puppetry art is widely practiced. The Xiaoyi City Puppet…
Xiaoyi Persimmons are another premium economic forest variety from Xiaoyi City. Persimmon trees are highly productive, long-lived, and have excellent wood quality, often referred to as "birdwood." The fruits are high in sugar and contain various vitamins and trace elements, with both the fruit and its products offering significant medicinal value. There are seven main high-quality varieties, including Mopan Persimmons and Niuxin Persimmons. The annual...